MOUNT VERNON CAREER CRIMINAL SENTENCED FOR ARSON AND WITNESS INTIMIDATION

July 25, 2013 -- Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore announced that Jawwad Abdul Halim (DOB 06/14/85) of 40 East Sidney Avenue, Mount Vernon, New York was sentenced today to twelve years in prison on his March 2013 guilty plea to:

one count of Arson in the Second Degree, a class "B" Felony,

one count of Tampering with a Witness, in the Third Degree, a class "E" Felony.

On Feb. 12, 2012 at approximately 11:26 p.m. the defendant intentionally started a fire in an apartment building at 43 Millington Street in Mount Vernon.

The Mount Vernon Police responded and commenced an evacuation of the building. The Mount Vernon Fire Department extinguished a fire that engulfed the entrance door to an apartment in the building.

Trapped in the apartment at that time were three individuals.

The defendant set the fire in retaliation against an occupant of the building.

Surveillance cameras captured and recorded the activity that occurred outside and within that multi-family dwelling at that time.

Detectives from the Mount Vernon Police Department launched an extensive investigation resulting in the arrest of the defendant.

While the defendant was in the Westchester County Jail he contacted and threatened a witness in the case.

Assistant District Attorney John O'Rourke Chief of the Major Case Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Laura Murphy of the Homicide Bureau prosecuted the case.